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“Un-hex me.” His voice was measured calm.
“Mom?” Lily called out from a few rooms down.
Hazel slid off the washer, rearranged her skirt, and turned toward the door. “Coming!”
“Hazel,” Tallak hissed.
She was already at the door, biting back her grin as she threw a look at him over her shoulder. “What?”
“Take off the hex!”
“No time, sorry!” And before he could make a grab for her, she was out the door.
His snarl followed her out into the hallway, and she couldn’t keep from giggling like a schoolgirl as she hurried away from the laundry room. She almost collided with Lily at the next corner.
“Sorry!” Hazel caught her breath and took a step back. “You were looking for me?”
Lily eyed her. “Yeah. There’s a call for you. Here.”
“Thanks.”
Hazel took the phone from her and put it to her ear as she walked toward the study. From the corner of her eye, she saw Tallak casually emerge from the same hallway she’d come from, his features just this side of murderous. He muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, “Meow my life,” as he stalked off toward the kitchen.
Hiding her chuckle with a cough, Hazel answered the call. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s Kristen.”
“Hey.” Wariness settled in her stomach, all lingering amusement evaporated. “What’s up?” The head of the Frost family wouldn’t call her unless it was Elder business that required immediate action; otherwise, she usually left a message or sent a text.
“There’s a meeting tonight,” Kristen said. “At seven, over at the Espinozas’. Obligatory attendance. Can you call Patty and let her know?”
“Sure. Um, do you know what it’s about?”
“Shobha said Beth would attempt the ritual.”
“Ah, I see.”
After the death of her mother, Beth was now officially head of the Callahan family, but that didn’t automatically make her an Elder witch. To join the council, a witch had to master a ritual that would induct her as an Elder of her community. Merle had notoriously pushed off becoming an Elder witch after her grandmother’s passing for fear of not being strong enough.
She’d made it on her first try, of course, like Hazel had known she would. It was a rare case that a head of the family failed at the ritual. In her lifetime, Hazel had only heard of it happening once in the community, and the witch in question had been recovering from a major injury that even the healers hadn’t been able to fully fix.
Some witches would wait a bit after the passing of the previous Elder witch to attempt the ritual, in order to process their grief and deal with everything surrounding the death. But some, like Hazel herself, would try right away. After Isabel had died—killed by Merle in self-defense when she’d confronted her about Maeve’s kidnapping—Hazel hadn’t even let two days go by before she’d claimed her place as Isabel’s successor.
Being a member of the Elders came with rights and privileges, a say in how the community should be run. Hazel had joined at the beginning of a turning point for the witches in this area, after Merle had laid bare the treachery committed by Isabel and started casting doubt on the longstanding tenets that painted the world of witches and demons in black and white. Each witch on the council had an equal voice in all voting matters, and it was important to Hazel to add hers in favor of seeing the world a bit more nuanced.
It wasn’t really a surprise, then, that Beth would attempt the ritual merely a day after her mother’s passing. She was probably champing at the bit to join the Elders and add her—rather reactionary—voice to the council.
With a sigh, Hazel called Patricia to keep the phone chain going, then checked the time. She still had to run some errands, get a few groceries, and then it would be time to head over to the Espinozas’.
She hesitated on her way to the foyer. Should she relieve poor Tallak of his meowing affliction?
Tilting her head, she chewed on her lip, a smile sneaking its way onto her face.
The hex would actually wear off on its own after some time. After, say, the game night he’d planned with Basil later, an activity that usually involved the liberal use of a variety of swear words.
Devious delight bubbling in her chest, she quickly walked out of the foyer and to her car.
CHAPTER 16
